Comparison Recordings
Brahms Symphony #4, Charles Munch, BSO [ADD] BMG/RCA 09026-61206-2
Haydn, Symphony #104, Rudolf Kempe, Philh. Orch. [ADD] Testament
1273
Having long felt that the 1958 Charles Munch
BSO recording of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony is the finest
overall performance of the work ever, I was intrigued to learn
that he had recorded it previously, and arranged to hear this
recording. This reading is much the same as the later version,
but somewhat younger, brighter and more passionate. The first
movement timing is identical, the remaining three movements about
30 seconds shorter each. Naturally the sound on this restoration
is not so good, being monophonic, somewhat shrill and very bass
shy. Applying subharmonic synthesis greatly improved the perception
of the performance by making the bass line audible, and that is
how I shall listen to it.
Haydn must have known he was writing his last
symphony with #104 because in some ways it’s the very best one.
It has an expression of drama and feeling in the sonata form movements
which is comparable with the late Mozart symphonies. Original
instrument recordings which soft pedal the sentiment and give
us an astringent sounding brisk runthrough are all very well,
but with a little help there is a lot of emotion here and comes
out strongly and with devastating effect. The very first notes
can bring tears to the eyes, and the dialogue in the ensuing development
is every bit as intense as the best Beethoven but considerably
more graceful. The more you know the previous hundred or so the
better you can appreciate this one. Munch and Kempe capture this
work about equally, but Kempe has much better sound and is now
available on a Testament CD release, as shown above.
Paul Shoemaker
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles
Munch